Guest Blog: Buzzbnk
Crowdfunding is big news at the moment, giving Good projects of all sorts a much-needed financial boost. Buzzbnk is one such platform, but one that’s doing even more. Theresa Burton (CEO and co-founder) tells us what it’s all about!
Buzzbnk is an online crowdfunding platform that exists to support social enterprises and charities raise funds to do good. So we are thrilled to see that A Good Week has expanded this year, and we’re delighted to be able to highlight some of our current projects during the week.
In a time of continuing economic doldrums, we are excited to be part of a new wave of raising money—one that empowers individuals to give a little, do a lot, and get something back in return. Buzzbnk only launched in 2011, but we’ve already raised over £330,000 for over 31 projects.
We are currently the only crowdfunding platform in the UK that can support raising loans for projects as well as donations. And we’ve found that social enterprises who crowdfund for loans do astonishingly well. So loans for good are, in our opinion, a really good thing. Just have a look at the linked video!
We’re particularly proud of the creativity and resilience that the entrepreneurs, founders and other team members pour into their crowdfunding campaigns—and the work that they do on a daily basis. Crowdfunding is certainly not an easy route for raising money: success or failure often depends on the time and ambitions of those running the campaign. But for the crowdfunders who really work hard to leverage their networks, and their networks networks, it is a hugely rewarding way of raising money.
“It’s not just giving, it’s co-venturing” says my co-founder, Michael Norton—an idea I agree with wholeheartedly. We’re trying to create more talking points around sharing. And it’s that sense of shared ownership that can carry a crowdfunded project far beyond the scope of the initial money that was raised.
Do check out the Buzzbnk site and the projects currently raising funds through them. We hope you’re inspired to lend or donate to one of the projects, or alternatively be inspired to run a Good crowdfunding campaign of your own!